


Ten Swords

by kaige68



Series: Tarot [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-15
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-15 01:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/843885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaige68/pseuds/kaige68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hoped for outcomes are not likely to transpire, and a sense of loss will come.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Swords

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** This is not my pool, I'm just playing in it.  
>  **Beta:** Read through quickly by [](http://haldoor.livejournal.com/profile)[**haldoor**](http://haldoor.livejournal.com/). All remaining mistakes are mine alone. Con-crit is appreciated, and corrections are helpful.  
>  **Notes:** I don't know why, but I decided that I wanted to write based on what my tarot deck dealt me. And I also decided that they should be McChekov fics. I will not be writing the entire deck, I am hoping to arc together what I do write though. The first two fics are done, and are McCoy with little to no Chekov. Some fics will be based on the meaning behind specific card, some on the cards title, and some on the picture presented to me. Huge thanks to [](http://haldoor.livejournal.com/profile)[**haldoor**](http://haldoor.livejournal.com/) (and everyone over at [](http://1-million-words.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://1-million-words.livejournal.com/)**1_million_words** ) for the cheerleading!

It was no better than a cardboard box. McCoy was sure the Hindenburg had been safer, with gas, explosions, flames, falling to the ground below. Those passengers stood a better chance of survival than the cadets packed in like sardines. If something failed, if the passenger section filled with a deadly gas, or was emptied of all it’s pressure and oxygen, or caught fire, or broke off or... At least the pilots were sealed off and might make the tin can land, save someone. But something failed in the pilots compartment... if they were sucked out into space, or hit by a meteor, or... The shuttle would crash and the room full of plebs were doomed. And they’d see it coming. They would all feel the shuttle begin to descend, panic in their certain end, scream, and... He was locking himself in the bathroom.

 

*~*~*

 

They were seventeen. The Academy, in it’s infinite wisdom had assigned him a dormitory with two roommates who were both seventeen. “SEVENTEEN!” He ranted at Jim constantly. “THEY’RE SEVENTEEN!” And they were evil. McCoy wasn’t like that at 17. He’s sure he was respectful of his elders and women and he took his education seriously (yes, they took theirs seriously, but in a far less respectable way than he remembered doing.) When he took his complaints to his advisor, it was suggested that he would be a good and calming influence on the boys. He bought them booze. They were much quieter when they were passed out.

 

*~*~*

 

One of the most wonderful things about med school, was the decided lack of ‘gen-eds’. Maybe everything wasn’t his speciality, but it was generally pertinent. And there he was, in classes, years away from practicing medicine where ever it was that StarFleet would send him, taking classes about … too many things that would hopefully NEVER be requested of him. If engineering ever needed his help StarFleet was screwed! And the poor schmuck that had used a transporter he was manning had damn well better have his affairs in order. He understood why he had to take some of the classes, he needed to learn rules and regs, but if someone sent him on a mission as a diplomat... they’d be better off if he transported them.

 

*~*~*

 

Then there were the med classes! He had to keep reminding himself that they were aimed at service medics. Even the trained nurses should be having a problem with them. And yet he seemed to be the only one complaining. His teachers huffed every time he walked into the classroom. He should have been teaching some of the damn classes. They didn’t even cover that diagnostics should be run on the equipment before a shift started. But it certainly proved his point when the bed was displaying statistics and readings that could not possibly be for the volunteer that was in the bed. “Either the readings on this contraption are wrong or this human is a medical miracle with a hind brain!”

 

*~*~*

 

It was not a perk when Jim finagled them a dorm room together. Sure Jim wasn’t seventeen. But Jim was... Jim. And McCoy just about hated him for that. For being charming, knowing exactly what to say to get _Bones_ to calm down and see things his way. He was smart, Leonard would admit that, he caught on quickly without really studying (jackass). And there were girls. Girls and guys. Coming and going. Sometimes they’d be there waiting for Jim to come home, just sitting there getting in McCoy’s way. They were loud and typically giggly. And worse was when Jim tried to hook him up.

 

*~*~*

 

He wasn’t given much of a chance to meet people he considered being interested in. Students in his own age group were generally married, and teachers were out of the question. Non-educator StarFleet personnel were put off at his cadet status. He’d never gotten really good at one night things, so bars didn’t hold much hope for him, and when he was in the mindset for a lack of commitment, he seemed to draw in the lovelorn. Even the cougars wanted nothing to do with him (didn’t that just do wonders for his self esteem?). And worse was when Jim tried to hook him up.

 

*~*~*

 

The news came that he wouldn’t be teaching at StarFleet. It wasn’t what he hoped for when he’d enlisted. But somehow, his mind had come around to believe that they would offer him that post. That the powers that be would see him as so invaluable they’d ask him to help out on campus. It was true that while most of the medical staff on a ship was comprised of medics and nurses, there was at least one board certified doctor on each ship. McCoy just never thought he’d be put in charge of some crew’s medical team. It turned out he was right, he’d pissed someone off so thoroughly that not only was he absolutely going into space, but he’d be going under another doctor’s command. He wondered how hard his ex-wife was laughing.

 

*~*~*

 

 _Inherited!_ Of course this was what he got when he finally got promoted to Chief Medical Officer. A battlefield promotion, which meant they were actually being fired upon and that they’d lost the most senior medical staff. Now McCoy was in charge and he was in charge in a shit storm. More crew hurt than he had places to put them with Deck 6 having taken such a hit, and shorter staffed than he could imagine. He’d give Nurse Chapel her due, she was a hell of a triage specialist, and someday he’d admit that she made them a great team, maybe. But for the moment it was keep your head down and keep working. He’d just finished with the last of the bumps and bruises in time to watch Jim get expelled from the ship. _Lucky bastard._

 

*~*~*

 

Seventeen! Their entire plan to SAVE EARTH and the crew of the Enterprise hinged on a plan that was at least partially conceived by a kid who was SEVENTEEN! Sure he’d been the talk of the Academy, renowned for being smart and quick, but he was still a seventeen year old. And yes McCoy’d heard that the kid saved Jim and Sulu by figuring out how to transport them while they were plunging to near-certain death. He nodded that the plan was backed up by Pointy and the wet guy Jim had brought with him, but the plan to SAVE EARTH … Well, if it didn’t work, he’d drink to his ex-wife’s demise.

 

*~*~*

 

He needed a drink. He needed several drinks. Jim, _JIM KIRK_ , was captain of his own ship. Captain of StarFleet’s flagship! Yes, he was CMO, and he deserved to be CMO, but Jim was CAPTAIN! Spock was serving under him! Jim wasn’t even technically an Academy graduate when StarFleet confirmed that he’d get to keep the Enterprise. McCoy had no idea how these things happened. Well, he knew, but he really did expect that a flagship chock full of CADETS would be patted on the back and dispersed. Not _This works, lets keep them together and see what else they can do! Here Jim Kirk, you get the Enterprise._ He was somehow, _SOMEHOW_ , certain that their tour of duty would be a lot like their first mission. There was not enough bourbon...

**Author's Note:**

> I know my McCoy is a grumpy man, it's intentional. In my head, it works.


End file.
